Butterfly Nectar Sources

Loads of 1-1/2" wide, purple tinged rich peachy-pink, starry funnel shaped flowers are produced in midspring with good repeat in fall all on a low mounding spreading plant. Momo No Haru Azalea, which roughly translates to 'Spring of Peach', is a dwarf Satsuki evergreen azalea slowly building to about 2-3'H x 4-5'W. Its compact habit lend it to use as a bonsai specimen but it can also be utilized as a low growing evergreen hedge or as a specimen plant in the garden and landscape. Azaleas do best in average moist, acidic soils that are rich in organic matter but have good to excellent drainage and should be top dressed with an organic mulch such as pine straw and pine bark. We recommend using a slow-release, non-burning fertilizer that is labeled for acidic loving plants. Azalea flowers attract a variety of pollinators including bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Item# 12801

Clusters of widely flaring orange flowers are produced throughout the growing season and are held above the glossy dark green foliage on a compact well-branched plant. Mona Wallhead Crossandra or Firecracker Flower is a naturally evergreen, compact growing, herbaceous tropical plant with spring to fall flower power and revels in the heat and humidity of summer. Crossandras can be used to good effect in mixed containers or as specimen plants or add them to shaded gardens and landscapes. They can even be grown as houseplants but do enjoy some humidity. Provide a moist to average moist, fertile soil with average or better drainage for optimum vigor and maximum flower power. These are easy and rewarding plants that are well-suited to use on shaded porches or patios and are small enough to be used as outdoor table centerpieces. The flowers of Crossandras attract butterflies. Item# 12478

Producing some of the largest flowers of any Perennial Hibiscus cultivars to date, the deep cherry pink to near red flowers of Moy Grande can measure over 12" across! The gray-green fuzzy foliage is pest resistant and this is a vigorous upright to spreading perennial that will enjoy a spot at the back of the garden where it can wow passersby. Provide a full to mostly sunny position in a moderately moist fertile soil for the most flowers and vigorous growth. Developed by Dr. Moy at the San Antonio Botanic Gardens. Item# 11172

A multiple award winning Louisiana Iris producing deep currant red falls with contrasting golden yellow signals and with slightly lighter red standards with a darker midvein and dark style arms. My Friend Dick Louisiana Iris is midseason flowering and grows to about 34-36" high. Louisiana Irises are easy and adaptable, rhizomatous perennials with fans of deep green sword-like foliage and seem as at home in standing water as they do in average moist garden soils. Remember that these plants do most of their growing in fall and winter and so this is when they should be fed and fall is also a great time to divide plants if desired. Provide a full to mostly sunny site for optimum vigor and flowering. My Friend Dick has been awarded the Debaillon Medal in 2007, an Award of Merit in 2005, and an Honorable Mention in 2003. Item# 13446

Wow! Possibly THE darkest purple Salvia on the market today! Dark colored spikes of deep royal purple, sometimes with a hint of red, two-lipped tubular flowers are produced from spring to fall on a compact well-branched vigorous plant. Nachtvlinder Salvia is a perennial Salvia with excellent vigor and flower power growing to about 24" high and wide and is adorned with glossy green fragrant foliage. Nachtvlinder translates to "night butterfly" or "moth" and was discovered as a chance seedling in the gardens of Hessenhoff Nursery in the Netherlands and is reported to have withstood temperatures as low as -4^oF. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in a well-drained, average moist, fertile soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Nachtvlinder Salvia is compact enough for low-maintenance specimens or add it to the garden and landscape for a summer long show. The nectar rich flowers attract hummingbirds, bees, and the occasional butterfly. A Royal Horticulture Society 2015 Award of Garden Merit Winner. Item# 12474

Dense flattened clusters composed of showy white buds from which the small, often dotted, whitish to pinkish to light lavender, short-tubular flowers emerge and are produced over a long period. Flowering begins in mid to late spring to early summer and may continue into early fall with the flower clusters held atop sturdy 20-30" high stems and attract a host of smaller pollinators but especially bees. Narrowleaf Mountainmint, Pycnanthemum tenuifolium, is a neatly clump forming, herbaceous, native perennial with a relatively upright habit and is adorned in narrow, fine-textured deep green to bluish green foliage that may have a light fragrance when crushed. This species if found throughout most of the eastern and central US from east Texas to Florida and as far north as Wisconsin and Maine. Provide a full to mostly sunny site for optimum vigor and flowering. Tough, easy, and adaptable to a wide range of soil types and mositure levels. The butterfly in the image is a Gray Hairstreak. Item# 10030

The silvery grass-like foliage of Narrowleaf Silk Grass could fool anyone to thinking it might actually be a grass but by late summer and fall you can be sure that this is definitely in the aster family when it puts up sturdy branching stems that are topped by loose clusters of nearly 1" wide golden yellow daisies. The flowers attract a variety of pollinators including butterflies and late season native bees storing up for winter. Narrowleaf Silk Grass, Pityopsis graminifolia, is a rhizomatous but non-aggressive, generally evergreen, native perennial found throughout the Southeastern US from near central Texas to Virginia and as far north as Kentucky and into southern Ohio. It makes a drought and deer and rabbit resistant informal ground cover or lawn replacement or allow it to naturalize along roadsides, meadows, and prairies or other naturalistic settings. Its main requirement is average or better drainage and a full sun to partly shaded site with average moisture. May reseed but generally only on exposed or disturbed soils. Item# 10686

A superb butterfly nectar plant! Masses of large pinkish-purple daisy-like blooms are often born from late spring to fall. An excellent cut flower that can last for up to a week in a vase. These seedlings originated from a vigorous native Louisiana population of this beautiful perennial. Item# 9256.

The dark colored spikes and calyxes are adorned with 1" long, bright fuchsia pink, two-lipped tubular flowers with a white beeguide are produced throughout the growing season attracting hummingbirds, bees, and the occasional butterfly. Naturally Fuchsia Salvia or Jame Sage, a hybrid selection grouped with Salvia x jamensis, is a compact perennial Salvia growing to about 18-24" high and 12-18" wide that is small enough to enjoy as a low maintenance container plant as well as in a sunny garden or landscape. The fragrant foliage may be evergreen in mild winter climates and plants are reported to be hardy into zone 7. Provide this tough perennial Salvia with a well-drained, fertile soil with average moisture, although, fully established plants are somewhat drought resistant the plants will flower best where they have at least some moisture available during the growing season. New to the US for 2025! Item# 13506

The nearly 1/2" wide ruby red flowers adorn the narrow elongating spikes of this large growing Porterweed from spring to frost attracting a non-stop procession of pollinators, especially hummingbirds, butterflies, and pollinating moths. Nectarwand Red Porterweed, a Heidi Sheesley and Treesearch Farms introduction and that we erroneously originally offered as Ruby Throat Red, is a vigorous growing Porterweed easily growing to 4-5' high and wide by the end of the growing season. Porterweeds are heat and sun loving, shrub-like, tropical plants that have excellent flower power and will show off in a non-stop fashion throughout the growing season! Provide a full to mostly sunny site in an average moist, average to well-drained soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Easily one of the best for pollinators and definitely the best red available! Item# 12377

A butterfly and pollinator magnet and the standard in Trailing Lantanas! This low growing, groundcovering Lantana produces an endless display of deep golden yellow flowers from late spring to fall. The clusters of brilliant yellow flowers positively shine against the glossy dark green foliage. New Gold Lantana rarely fruits and its mostly sterile pollen make this long popular selection a gardener and landscapers dream with its impressive flower power and reliability! New Gold creates a low maintenance colorful groundcover or use it as a spring to fall filler, spiller, or specimen for medium to large containers. Item # 3032.

Loose panicles composed of 1" long, white to pale pink to near lavender flowers with a golden 'beard' and purple bee guides are produced in mid to late spring on sturdy 18-24" stems attracting mainly bees and hummingbirds as well as occasional butterflies. Nodding Beardtongue, Penstemon laxiflorus, is a rosette to small clump forming, herbaceous, drought resistant perennial typically found growing in well-draining, sunny, upland sites in the Pineywoods, as well as tall grass prairies, and open sandy and rocky woodlands. While it is drought resistant it does seem to prefer average moisture during the growing season. May reseed on exposed soils. Provide Nodding Penstemon with a full to mostly sunny site in well-drained soils for optimum vigor and flowering. Makes an easy addition to naturalistic settings like roadsides, prairies, and meadows. Item# 9743

Clusters of 2-3" wide, widely flaring, 4-petalled, primrose yellow flowers are produced in late spring and early summer and are held against a foil of rich green foliage. Northern Sundrops, a selection of our native Oenothera fruticosa ssp. tetragona or sometimes just O. tetragona, is a tough and easy clump forming to short-rhizomatous, herbaceous perennial growing to 2-3' high and potentially to 5'. It is well suited to sunny, average moist to moist, average to well-drained sites. Unlike many of the Evening Primroses, Sundrop flowers are open during the day providing nectar and pollen to a variety of bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Item# 13334

Who knew you could get such a rich dark purple from Salvia greggii?! Loads of royal purple, 2-lipped tubular flowers are born in from spring to fall on this low mounding, durable perennial. Great for Hummingbirds and Butterflies! Drought tolerant, deer resistant, and low maintenance. Create a mass of purple flowers in the garden or use it in containers, either way expect to be wowed by Nuevo Leon Autumn Sage! Item#10273.

Masses of 1" wide yellow-eyed bluish purple daisies absolutely cover this plant for weeks in late summer and fall. October Skies Aromatic Aster, a selection of Symphyotrichum oblongifolium, is a low mounding perennial that develops into a compact shrub-like plant by flowering time. Excellent fall color for the garden as well as drought tolerance and pest and disease resistance make this an excellent addition to the perennial or wildflower border and landscape. Prefers good to excellent drainage and a full to mostly sunny site. Caterpillar host: Field Crescent, Pearl Crescent, Texan Crescent, Roadside Checkerspot, Hoffman's Checkerspot, and American Lady. Item# 9913

Clusters of orange to red-orange, long-lasting, saucer-shaped calyxes are centered by equally orange, 1" long, slightly curved tubular flowers and are produced along the arching stems beginning in late summer and early fall just in time for the fall hummingbird migration. Flowering may continue throughout winter and into spring in warm winter climates or will continue until the first hard frost or freeze in colder winter regions. The Orange Chinese Hat, Holmskioldia sanguinea, is a naturally evergreen, arching or scandent, tropical shrub growing to about 6-8' high and up to 8-12' wide by the end of the growing season, even as a dieback perennial in our zone 8B garden. It can be utilized as a specimen planting, as an informal hedge, espalier it along a fence or on a trellis, and even as a tree form or standard. Provide the Chinese Hat Plant with a full to mostly sunny site, in an average moist, fertile soil with average or better drainage for optimum vigor and flowering. Provide an insulative but breathable winter mulch in the colder portions of its hardiness range, like in zones 8 and 9. See our Growing on the Edge Growing Guide for more on growing root hardy tropicals as perennials in the garden and landscape. Item# 358

Large rounded clusters of 2" orange-yellow tubular flowers sit like golden crowns atop the large rich green tropical foliage of this rare beautiful tropical. Easy and rewarding, the Orange Flame Justicia, a.k.a Golden Crown Jacobinia or Justicia chysostephana, flowers throughout the year, when kept under warm tropical conditions, but will likely be late spring until fall as a die-back perennial, creating a small herbaceous plant to about 2' high and wide. Excellent for hummingbirds and a potential caterpillar host for the Malachite and White Peacock Butterflies! *Gardeners in both zone 8B and 9 have reported good hardiness with this species when planted out, a breathable, but insulative, preferably organic, mulch over and around the crown in winter will also help to improve the chances of this species returning from a well-stablished crown in spring. Planting the Orange Crown Justicia out fairly early in the growing season, once all danger of freeze and frost have passed, and soil temperatures have begun to warm, will also help to increase its reliability. See our Growing On the Edge Growing Guide for additional details. Item# 10102

Tall dense spikes of golden-orange nectar rich flowers are produced throughout the year in mild winter climates atop an upright growing shrub with dense velvety gray foliage. Orange Sceptre Butterfly Bush is a hybrid Buddleja that remains evergreen in mild winter climates like zone 9 and warmer. The flowers attract larger bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Provide a full to mostly sunny location in an average moist well-drained soil for optimum health and flowering. Developed by Jon Lindstrom at the University of Arkansas by crossing Buddleja stachyoides x B. tubiflora. Item# 11664